


Thicker Than Water

by SadieYuki



Series: Bloodbender!Jim AU [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Bloodbender!Jim AU, Gen, Tarsus IV, Waterbender!Jim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 04:29:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7998646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadieYuki/pseuds/SadieYuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>JT never had anyone to teach him waterbending, he just learned what he could on his own. That all changed when he got to Tarsus IV, but his new waterbending teacher may end up teaching him far more than he ever wanted to learn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thicker Than Water

**Author's Note:**

> I've been planning this AU out for ages, and I'm finally getting this posted! This is just the beginning, and there's plenty more where this came from. My plan for the series is that fics will kinda be all over the place time-wise, but since this kicks off everything else, I needed to get this up first.
> 
> You don't really need to have knowledge of Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Legend of Korra to follow this, you just need to have a vague idea of what waterbending is (manipulation of water). Beyond that, you can be as clueless as Jim is about the origins of it all, but that's not to say you won't find out about it from another source in this series ;)

The first time Jimmy waterbent, he’d been five years old.

It had been during a rare Earth-side appearance from his mother, when she, Sam, and Jimmy had been engaged in a passionate watergun fight. Everything had been normal until Sam aimed right at Jimmy’s face, and he raised his hands instinctively to block the stream of water.

And block it he had.

Sam had looked at him slack jawed, dropping his gun in shock as he stared at the midair splash of water. Jimmy had held the water up for another moment until he registered what had happened and abruptly let the water fall, soaking his shoes.

That was when Winona told them about George Kirk’s family history.

She didn’t know nearly as much as George might’ve, only that the ability was exceedingly rare in his family (and astronomically so in the world and known universe). George hadn’t had it himself, nor had his father, but Jimmy’s great-grandmother had had it and tried to pass as much knowledge down as she could before her death.

With George’s premature demise and Tiberius’s death a year prior to that, the knowledge was unfortunately lost with them.

Fortunately, Jimmy was a bright kid. While Winona in no uncertain terms told him to keep the ability—Winona had called it _waterbending_ —secret, Jimmy couldn’t help but try to bend whenever he had the chance. While Sam couldn’t bend himself, that didn’t stop him from trying to help Jimmy sort through and figure out his bending abilities.

They’d done a great job of hiding it from Frank until the day Sam had run away. With the turbulent emotions running rampant inside him, Jimmy forgot himself and used his bending to wash the car Frank had tasked him with cleaning. When Frank had seen, he’d descended into a untamable tantrum, and Jimmy escaped in the car, only to crash it in a quarry a couple miles down the road.

When Frank picked him up from the station, he didn’t mention the incident in front of the police—lest they think him insane—but he’d let Jimmy know about the extent of his feelings on the matter at home. Unable to deal with a ‘freak’ living under his roof, Frank had shipped him off planet.

Which is how Jimmy—now JT; he’d decided he needed a change—found himself on the colony planet of Tarsus IV.

Tarsus IV wasn’t unlike Riverside in that it had a very small-town feel to it, and it was surrounded by farmland. And, to JT’s delight, there was a nice hidden grotto on the edge of one of the outlying bodies of water. It was the perfect place to continue practicing his bending away from the dangerous prying eyes of others.

To this day, JT wasn’t sure how he’d given himself away. He thought he’d covered his tracks well whenever he retreated to the grotto. However it had happened didn’t really matter, JT supposed, it only mattered that it happened. And JT had never felt so blessed. After all, he never expected to meet another waterbender.

Kodos knew _so much_ about waterbending, it was almost breathtaking. He had a refined style of bending based on Tai Chi, a myriad of techniques at his disposal, and most importantly, he had a willingness to teach.

Kodos taught JT everything he knew, and JT flourished under the guidance. He’d never thought of the thousands of applications that waterbending could be used for, and over the course of several months, Kodos taught him each one. JT learned everything from how to whip a single stream of water, to manipulating eight (or more) streams at once, to manipulating ice and water vapor, to extracting water from the environment around him, and even how to heal wounds.

JT owed Kodos everything.

And yet...

JT realized far too late that Kodos was grooming him for something.

It was just another normal day as JT waited for Kodos to arrive at the grotto, having finished his schoolwork for the day. As he waited, he found himself idly creating a small whirlpool in the water before him. Watching the water spin with a grin, he inverted the funnel and created a waterspout, letting it grow in intensity until it was about the height of the treeline.

“Easy on the height there,” a voice said from behind him. “You don’t want to be seen, son.”

“Sorry,” JT said sheepishly, letting the column fall with a large splash.

“Never apologize for greatness,” Kodos chided. “You’ve come such a long way, be proud of that.”

“Thanks,” he said, giving Kodos a grateful smile. JT was proud. He could see the visible results of his training and it felt good that his teacher recognized his progress. But sometimes he felt that Kodos over-embellished his abilities; he wasn’t doing more than he was being shown after all.

“You’re stronger than you know, JT,” Kodos said, as though he could read JT’s thoughts. “You’re only just tapping into your potential, but dare I say, I believe you’re already more powerful than myself.”

JT blinked, a bit shell-shocked at the proclamation. Kodos thought he was already stronger than him?

“I do,” Kodos said, once again correctly interpreting JT’s thoughts. “And I think you’re ready.”

JT tilted his head in curiosity. “Ready for what?” he asked. This was the first he’d heard of needing to be prepared for something. Hadn’t he been learning from Kodos to get a better handle on his bending? What else was there?

“I’m going to tell you a secret,” Kodos said, sounding more serious than JT had ever heard him sound. “The colony is in a state of emergency.” That was news to JT. “The last supply ship that arrived wasn’t properly decontaminated, and an invasive fungus has been slowly infecting and destroying the crop fields for months.” JT stared, horrified at the revelation. _The fields are dying? Most of the food supply is agricultural!_ “Our colony is reaching a critical point, son, and drastic measures must be taken.”

“You think bending can solve the problem,” JT realized.

“Precisely.”

JT felt a surge of excitement pulse through him. This would be the first time he’d be able to use his bending for something _good._ It would be a huge test of his progress, but more importantly, if it worked he could help save thousands of people from a slow and grueling death.

“So are we going to use plantbending to somehow siphon out the toxins or whatever and replace it with clean water?” JT asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement.

“I’m afraid the infection is far too widespread for that to be effective,” Kodos said gravely. “We’d exhaust all the nearby water supply and our situation would be even more dire. No, I have a different solution. Tell me, JT, why can we bend plants in the first place?”

“Because it’s ninety percent water, and if we can sense the water inside of a plant then we can bend that water and thus the plant itself,” JT recited promptly.

“Good,” Kodos nodded approvingly. “So, wouldn’t it make sense that we could sense the water in other organic matter composed primarily of water?”

“Yeah...” JT trailed off, gears starting to turn in his head. He understood what Kodos was implying, but how could that be possible? “But...animals are sentient, how can you bend a sentient creature? They have control over their own bodies, you can’t just override that—”

“But you _can,”_ Kodos stressed, a weird gleam in his eye. “The nervous system has no power when there’s something physically blocking its commands. If an arm is restrained, it won’t be able to move despite the neurons telling it to do so. We’re just instilling an unseen form of restraint.”

JT wasn’t sure how to feel about the fact that Kodos used _people_ in his example. Surely he didn’t mean—

“I’m going to teach you how to sense the water in people, just like you would in a tree,” Kodos said. “Just that has applications on its own. You can use it for tracking purposes, you can use it to sense the presence of people around you even if they’re hidden from sight. It’s an invaluable tool.”

JT let out a small sigh of relief. He reluctantly admitted that he could see the sense in that. And even if he could just sense the water in someone, that didn’t mean he had to bend it. “Alright,” he nodded finally.

It didn’t take long for JT to pick up the technique. Kodos had him place his hands on Kodos’s torso, like he had the trunk of a tree when first learning plantbending, to get the hang of recognizing the water in a human body. Once he got the feel of that, Kodos stepped away at increasing increments and had JT sense the water intangibly. JT closed his eyes and Kodos moved to various locations for JT to try and pick him out amongst other forms of flora and fauna.

When JT managed to sense Kodos from fifty paces away, Kodos declared him ready for the final step.

“I thought that was it,” JT said, an uncomfortable pit forming in his gut.

“Come now, we’re not going to solve the food crisis simply by _sensing_ water.”

“You can’t bend someone’s body into forgetting they’re hungry!”

“Forget, no. But they won’t be hungry if they’re not alive to feel as such.”

Kodos was looking at him with an intensity that froze his insides. _He can’t be serious. He’s not actually implying that we should use waterbending to...to **murder** people...right?_

“I need your help with this, son,” Kodos was saying, stepping closer to JT as he spoke, and he found himself retreating backwards, shaking his head in disbelieving horror. “I can’t tell my staff ahead of time in case word gets out to the wrong people—”

“Who exactly _are_ the wrong people?” JT spat in a sudden burst of anger.

“Those unworthy of living,” Kodos replied easily. “Only those who will best contribute to the colony deserve to continue on, it’s only fair—”

“Nothing about this is fair! I—I’m not gonna be a part of this, I won’t—I won’t _let_ you do this—!”

“This will happen with or without your help,” Kodos said, still advancing on him. “But it will be infinitely easier with your help; the addition of your strength will be invaluable considering the magnitude of—”

“No! I can’t...I can’t _bend_ people!” JT stammered, anger and panic warring with each other. “I can’t _kill_ people—!”

“You _can,”_ Kodos said, an insane look of accomplishment in his eyes. “I’ve just taught you how. You may not want to, son, but you most certainly _can.”_

JT abruptly doubled over, retching at the mere thought. What had Kodos _done_ to him?! _He...he made me learn this… **perverse** form of waterbending, and now—_

JT flinched hard as Kodos’s hands landed on his shoulders, having taken JT’s distress as a chance to move in closer. “I know you don’t want to do this, but there’s no alternative. Either we do this, or the entire colony will suffer. It’s for the greater good, son.”

JT shook his head frantically, even as Kodos glanced off to his right for whatever reason. “I can’t...I don’t wanna kill anyone, I don’t wanna _bend_ anyone—”

“You _will_ bloodbend, even if you don’t want to,” Kodos said, stepping away. “At least, you will if you want to save your friend.”

“What—?”

“JT, you out here?” a voice called from a little ways away. JT froze in recognition. “I got your message, why’d you wanna meet all the way out here, huh?”

It was Tom Leighton, his best friend. _What’s Tom doing here? I didn’t send him a message—_

Kodos had planned this. This whole thing. He knew JT wouldn’t want to bend a living being—he’d called it bloodbending—so he set up an incentive...what was he gonna do to Tom?

“JT! There you are—oh!” Tom entered the little clearing, stopping short when he noticed Kodos. “Uh...hi? Who’re you?”

Kodos didn’t answer, only raising his arms towards Tom—

“Tom, run! He’s—!”

It was too late. Tom’s body had gone rigid, eyes wide in terror as he realized he was no longer in control of his own body.

“Let him go!” JT screamed, watching in horror as Tom’s body twitched, muscles straining helplessly against an invisible force. Tom’s head began twisting to the side, far past the limit of human comfort and leaning dangerously into lethal territory. “You’re gonna kill him!”

“Yes, I am,” Kodos said evenly. “And you’re the only one with the power to stop me, JT, it’s your choice.”

“JT—!” Tom choked, face red in exertion.

JT felt tears cascade down his cheeks. “Please, don’t make me do this,” he cried, not above begging Kodos to spare his friend.

“You’re running out of time, his neck is so fragile—”

_“Stop it!”_

“Three—two—”

_**“NO!”** _

It was like time itself had frozen. Everything in the vicinity seemed stuck, even the wind had died down to an eerie calm. JT felt anything but.

JT’s arms were outstretched, shaking from emotion rather than exertion. Kodos’s eyes had widened, but the moment Tom collapsed like a puppet with cut strings, his face morphed into a cruel grin even as his breathing began to labor.

Bloodbending didn’t feel like plantbending as Kodos had suggested. The water in plants was stagnant and microscopic compared to the actual plant structure. While plants were living organisms, it was hard to remember that when they could be bent like a lifeless puddle of rainwater.

Bloodbending was different. A beating heart still tried to pump blood against the pressure of bent blood, and JT could feel it pulsing against his hold. He found himself forming a tube of bent blood through Kodos’s major arteries, keeping him immobile while letting blood flow through important channels, and Kodos responded immediately, looking much more at ease and even manically thrilled.

JT adjusted his arms and bent his hands at the wrists, forcing Kodos into a kneeling position.

Bloodbending was _easy._

JT wanted to vomit.

“You’re a natural,” Kodos praised, and JT shut his eyes against a fresh wave of tears.

“JT?” Tom said, finding his voice. “I don’t get it, what’s going on—?”

“Get out of here!” JT yelled abruptly, astounded that Tom hadn’t fled yet. “Run—!”

“I’m not leaving you here!”

JT’s eyes snapped open and he locked eyes with Tom, his face pale but determined. JT felt a rush of gratitude towards him, seeing that Tom was still supporting him despite not knowing what he’d walked in to, despite what he was witnessing JT do.

“You’re not done, JT,” Kodos said, voice sickeningly melodic. JT flinched, attention taken back by his captive. “You know what you have to do.” JT shook his head wordlessly, knowing yet dreading what Kodos wanted him to do. Bloodbending was one thing, but he was _not_ going to _kill_ anyone. “Either you kill me,” Kodos pressed, “or you know what I’ll do.”

“If I kill you, I’m not gonna go through with your plans for you, so what’s the point?” JT asked, thrown by Kodos’s urging.

“Won’t you?” Kodos challenged. “You know the state of the colony now, and when things become truly dire you’ll know how to solve the problem—”

“No!”

“—and the longer you hold out, the more people will suffer. You’ll have a means to end that suffering, do you really think you won’t use it?”

“No...” JT repeated, softer this time as doubt began to fester.

JT distantly heard Tom’s shout of _“Don’t listen to him!”_ but Kodos had successfully trapped his attention. “Either you let me go and I do the job myself,” Kodos continued, “or you kill me now and eventually you’ll find the need to save the colony yourself.”

“You can’t save the colony by murdering half of it!” JT roared, and he heard Tom’s gasp of horror.

“You can’t save it by letting them fend for themselves either!” Kodos countered. “They’ll all starve over time and everyone will die! Four thousand quick deaths are far better than eight thousand slow deaths.”

“You don’t want to do it,” JT realized suddenly, insides twisting uncomfortably. “That’s why you want me to kill you and do it myself. You don’t want to be the one with your name attached to those deaths so you’re trying to pass it off on me!”

Kodos remained silent for a moment, and JT knew he was right. “I will do what I must,” he said eventually, “for the good of the colony.”

“And I’ll do what I must,” JT echoed, letting his arms drop. Kodos slumped forward, hands catching himself before he fell. “For the good of my conscience. I’m not a killer.”

Kodos pushed himself to his feet, sending JT a final cold smirk. “You will be,” he said, making his way towards the clearing exit, Tom giving him a wide berth as he walked. “After all, you’re a bloodbender now.”

JT could feel his whole body trembling, dimly aware of Tom approaching him. Was Kodos right? Now that he had the tools, was it really inevitable that he’d use them? Sure, he could say he was justified, like he had been now to save Tom, but it was a slippery slope...

“Okay, so what the fuck just happened—woah!” Tom reached out just as JT’s legs gave out, and he caught him before JT could fall forward. “JT?” he asked hesitantly, lowering both of them to their knees, but JT couldn’t find the strength to answer him, the weight of what he’d done crashing on top of him. He had controlled the body of another living being, literally bending it to his will—

A sob tore through him and he felt Tom gather him close, tucking JT’s head in the juncture of his neck and shoulder as JT’s tears soaked his shirt collar.

“It’s alright, everything’s fine, you’re alright,” Tom babbled soothingly, rubbing his back in slow circles.

JT wanted to scream. Everything was _not_ fine. He’d made the decision to spare Kodos—or rather, he hadn’t been able to find it within himself to kill him—and because of that, Kodos was going to go through with his plan to save the colony.

Kodos was going to execute four thousand people.

And it would be entirely JT’s fault.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! A follow up to this specific story will be up soon, regarding the Massacre itself, and from there, I've got one other specific story planned for this. The rest of the fics in this story will be fairly sporadic.
> 
> Feedback is appreciated, thanks!


End file.
